1. Field of the Art
The present invention relates generally to a steering system with a tiltable or inclinable steering column for a forklift truck, and more particularly to a device for tilting a steering column from its operative position to its inoperative or rest position or vice versa, with a simple manipulation by the operator.
2. Related Art Statement
In a forklift truck, it is sometimes required to tilt or pivot a steering column with a steering wheel from its normal operative position to a rest position away from an operator's seat, so as to provide an ample space between the steering column or wheel and the operator's seat. In a small-sized forklift truck, for example, a relatively small distance is provided between the front end of an engine hood 27, and a steering wheel 1 fixed to the upper end of a steering shaft, as indicated in FIG. 7. In the meantime, the engine hood 27 is usually required to pivot about an axis parallel to an axis of rotation of drive wheels, between its normal closed position and its upper open position for an access to the engine assembly of the truck. To avoid an interference of the front end of the engine hood 27 with the steering wheel 1 during a pivoting movement of the engine hood 27 to its open position, it is a common practice to provide a separate toe board 31 which is fixed to a frame of the forklift truck so that the separate toe board 31 cooperates with the engine hood 27 to enclose the engine assembly.
The above-addressed problem of interference may be solved by providing a device which permits the steering column to be tilted from its operating position to a position away from the operator's position (seat). Generally, such a device for tilting the steering column is designed for providing plural operating positions of the steering wheel which are selected to suit different physical constitutions of the operators of the truck. However, a relatively cumbersome procedure is required to change the operating position of the steering column. Thus, most of the known tilting devices do not permit the operator to adjust the steering wheel position, with a simple procedure.